Marco Rubio warns of potential war on Ethiopia-Eritrea border

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that troop surges on both sides of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border could escalate internal Ethiopian conflicts into a broader regional war. Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Rubio characterized recent drone strikes on Addis Ababa as “terrorist attacks” carried out by “separatists” within Ethiopia.

Rubio noted that the United States has increased contact with Eritrea in recent months. He explained that the recent easing of certain U.S. sanctions on Eritrean targets, including the Eritrean Defense Forces and the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, was intended to preserve diplomatic access and facilitate potential peacemaking efforts. The expiration of the national emergency underpinning specific Ethiopia-related sanctions led to the removal of these designations in September.

The diplomatic warnings come amid a deterioration of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which recently severed diplomatic ties following allegations of hostile activity. Rubio stated he has urged Ethiopian officials to remain “wise and measured” in their response to internal threats to avoid a conflict that could “ultimately pull in other countries.”